Special interests holding democracy hostage

Tuesday

Jan 21, 2014 at 12:01 AM

So much for “we the people”!

So much for “we the people”! Our country is now run by those who have the deepest pockets and whatever laws they want to see either passed or stopped. We the people vote, but what does our vote really mean? Special interest groups have far more sway than us minions will ever have. We only vote. We don’t have millions to spare.

Some politicians genuinely care about the people who put them into office, Bernie Sanders being one. What a fantastic advocate he is for the middle class and the working poor. It’s a pity there aren’t more like him. For some of our elected officials, when the checkbook opens and a blank check is being offered by special interest groups, that draw of big money is far too great.

No wonder many citizens have lost faith in government, or at least the way it is run. All the talk of what the American people want is pure baloney. The American people vote on many things they want done, and in overwhelming numbers in many cases. Their voices are ignored because the deep-pocket parties who really run the country make sure their voices are heard way above everyone else. Many of these special interest groups will stop funding representatives in a heartbeat if they feel those representatives are not doing what they want them to do. Those representatives can’t have that now, can they?

For some politicians an A-plus rating or five gold stars from the NRA, for example, is worth far more than any minute changes in the gun laws. As long as the wealthy hold the purse strings in elections, we the “little” people no longer matter in the grand scheme of things.

Many politicians will say how they feel your pain. Give me a break. These politicians, most of whom sit in their ivory towers of wealth, have great health care coverage for themselves and their families but will never be in line in a soup kitchen or pounding the streets looking for a job. They have no clue about people’s pain.

Some politicians come on TV and say they know how some are suffering out there in this bad economy. Yet those same people who profess to understand your pain have no problem cutting unemployment insurance or cutting food stamps. Cut everything that helps those in dire straits. That is an abomination. It doesn’t bother them one iota though as they don’t really care.

Citizens United was a huge mistake, but you can’t put the genie back in the bottle. So we fume over what we see happening thanks to some of our bought and paid for politicians, but can do little about it other than to vote them out and with your fingers crossed hope the new one you vote for will actually do what the people want. That’s not what big money wants.

Is that likely? From what I’ve seen so far with some of these politicians, I’d venture to say highly unlikely. The big donors certainly don’t want any change. How will they get done what they desire?

As for we the people: Who are they again?

CAROL PHILP Panama City

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